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Hunting in the swamp
Aramasu Hikage has arrived. Hikage's power armor seemingly disolves as the nano-machine remove the armor. Avarice is standing, well hidden behind some tree, with both feet deep in the mud of the swamp. This is not really the kind of neighbor the sweeps likes but he's here because Scourge thinks he needs to improve his tracking skills. He glances towards his teacher, Razorclaw, the Predacon leader. "Do you think he's going to be here soon? I hope he didn't escape us. That would be embarrassing." Razorclaw lunges forward to land as a massive, mightly lion. Let the hunt begin! Aramasu Hikage finishes up a conference in New Orleans on counter-intel and heads out of town on his motorcycle. A nice Ducati Dievel. Gotta admit, the human has taste. The hot, sticky, gritty southern swamps was one of the least hospitable places on Earth for the sort of training that was going on... And that is exactly why Razorclaw chose it. If one could track through this muck and mire and humidity for interference, they could do so on any hideous planet the Sweeps' hunts take them to. It also provided plenty of challenges of its own. The thick, damp ground did not leave tracks well to follow; the overgrowth and air moisture could mess with the most sensative of technological sensors. A hunter would truely have to rely on his skills and personal senses. The sheer amount of foliage and muck also made it a lot easier for a huge red and orange lion to manage some amount of camoflague behind it. It's 80s logic, go with it. "Patience, Avarice. A hunter needs to know when to stalk his prey... and when to let his prey move first." He pauses, lifting his head a little, ears swiveling. The sound of the bike was faint from this distance, but it was enough to pick up if one was paying attention. "Listen ... pay close enough attention and everything has its own little uniquities. Sight, sound, odor; even if the same model there are individual indiosyncricies one can use to tell them apart." Avarice does his best to follow Razorclaw's instructions. He opens his senses to the swamp. He hears the bike... and a crocodile, two serpents swimming, 2 rednecks drinking and arguing somewhere north. He hears the wind and the water. All of this overload his senses and makes him lose the sound of the bike. "There's too much noise here and I can't see through this vegetation! Too many things crawl in there" he mutters. He looks frustrated but keeps trying. One thing the Ducatis have besides being incredibly stylish is their distinctive sound. Not like a Harley but definately not the typical japanese speed bikes. The ninja is in full biker clothes and enjoying the ride. Maybe take a trip through Florida and stop by Disney World but he still has miles and miles to go. "Your lack of experience makes it difficult to filter out the .. distractions." Razorclaw's tone was matter-of-fact with his instruction, but far from condencending. He had too much respect for the Sweeps as fellow hunters to be such. "Focus.. and remain persistant. It will come with practice." Of course the amount of background 'white noise' and diversions was why he chose this EDC officer and this location to go after. A Sweeps heightened awareness would cut though a less cluttered environment too easily, and if there wasn't a challenge then Avarice would not learn, and it would be a waste. And we all know how much Razorclaw hates waste, time or otherwise. "He draws closer. Be ready to hunt once he is flushed from his comfort zone." With a low, barely audible rumble the mechanical beast finally moves, folloing the engine noises without actually leaving the dense cover of the swamp just yet. Avarice needs to try for himself, not just follow the Predacon's lead. Avarice remains where he's standing, focusing his senses as instructed by the Predacon. One but one, he manages to shut out all the distractions. The only sound remaining is the sound of a very expensive sport bike. Apparently the EDC has a lot of budget. With his audio sensors locked on Aramasu, the sweep starts running and then he's silently flying just above the tree line, right on Hikage's tracks. Aramasu Hikage enjoys the ride so far but catches a weird glimpse in his mirror. .oO(What the? Nawww I am just overworked. I just need longer vacation. IF only that lazy Kenya would sign the approval.)Oo. So far the ninja did not seem to notice his pursuers. A pair of red eyes narrow from the marshlands as Razorclaw reachs the edge that borders the highway a few meters beyond. Legs flex and crouch, servos tense, tail flicks. Motorcycle approaches... motorcycle passes... Overgrown trees abruptly shake aside as the Predacon's form lunges out of the swamp, Razorclaw's leaping ability making it easy to reach the roadway to land on. What had been a serene drive erupts into chaos as vehicles hit breaks and swerve to try and avoid the sudden alien robo-beast obstruction, colliding with each other instead. Razorclaw raises his head with a roar, swats aside a mini cooper that tries to veer between his legs with a forepaw, and then breaks into a bounding run after the motorcycle, making it no secret just whom he is really after. If Hikage is smart he'll do something to try and lead his abrupt pursuer away from the crowded civilian highway. Avarice chuckles as Razorclaw creates havoc on the highway. But he's not losing his focus and close in on his intended prey, the EDC ninja. The sweep succeeds in ignoring these new distractions and he does not lose sight of Hikage among all the vehicles. Aramasu Hikage finally sees his pursuers "Oh man...I just cannot catch a break." He guns the bike's engines and gets off the highway and heads further inland. The bike's top speed of 155 mph is nothing to sneeze at. A normal human would probably start getting scared at that speed but Hikage is not quite human...His reflexes are far beyond human and even beyond some cybertronians. "Let's see how bad you want me." A few seconds later Hikage is on a country road away from the traffic. He is not about to use innocent bystanders as meat shield. He spots up ahead what he was looking for...A bridge which crosses the swamp. A quick look in the mirror says he momentarily moved out of sight of his pursuers. He lets out a curse word he learned in Quebec, grabs his sword and leaps off the bridge and letting the bike crash in the railing. *SPLOOSH* Hikage ditches the sunglasses and biker vest then heads downstream into the swamp wondering how much time the diversion will buy him. You will no longer hear messages on channel . Razorclaw grins faintly as the bike veers off the main highway and into the wilderness. Just as anticipated. Putting the poplance at threat was the perfect option to force him to take to rougher terrain in order to lead them away from civilians. The Predacon skids a bit as he passes where Hikage turned off, claws tearing up asphalt until he manages to shift his momentum and leap off to the country road. The chase is still on, but Razorclaw slows as he sees the explosion from the bike hitting the bridge up ahead.... No, too convenient. Too easy. The prey was being elusive, perfect. Then lion stops, sniffing at the wreckage. Smoke and burned fuel... but no smell of burnt flesh. He turns his head one way, then the other. The human could not of gotten far on his own legs... but water is notorious for its ability to delute scent as well as vision, especially the murkier swamp mires. <> The lion peers over the side of the bridge, into the water. The most likely course to take, but in which direction? <> Avarice doesn't even slow down as Aramasu crashes his bike. He passes over the bridge and hovers over the water right above the spot where the alt-human dived. The sweep simply nods Razorclaw. His audio sensors cannot help him here but his optics can. He sees the ripples in the water and then, some small bubbles heading north from the spot. "He's underwater...heading north." Aramasu Hikage gets up to grab some air then dives again slowly moves over to the right side of the river and slides under a tree. Yeah you know those big trees with huge roots that you can wiggle through. Moving under and through the roots should diminish his profile and the ripples. By heading away from the main current the trees are becoming thicker meaning air pursuit will lose sight. (http://www.bestourism.com/img/items/big/8177/Everglades-National-Park-_Deciduous-tree_15964.jpg) He gets back out and spits some disgusting swamp water. "Wonder what they want with me..." Combat: Aramasu Hikage slips into the shadows and out of sight... Battle Lion sprints off the bridge and along the river at Avarice's call, though he's not in too much of a rush. The hunt was a time to be savored. There's movement out of the water and beneath the massive tangles of roots, but there's enough obstruction to make it difficult to see clearly. Ears twitch, trying to pick up the sound of movements, but their foe was being more careful now that he knew he was being chased. <> There's a rending wail of metal claws tearing through wood, and several massive tree trunks toppling over as Razorclaw shoves through them. <>] He can tell Hikage is still in the general vicinity, but it's too soon after emerging from the water to pick up his actual sent again... Yet at least ... Avarice is closing on Aramasy when the ninja suddenly disappears! He lands into the water and slowly walks towards Hikage's last known position. "He simply vanished into thin air. He must possess some kind of cloaking technology." Avarice goes back to focusing on his audio sensors. While invisible, the ninja still needs to breath, and he's probably making noise while moving... Aramasu Hikage listens as trees get mauled and crushed and takes advantage of the noise to slice up a few trees of his own and small piece of reed. "Let's see how long it takes for you guys to figure this out." He pushes some floating trees in different directions...grabs one, rolls under and uses the reed to breathe. He uses slow leg movements to slowly propel his own tree trunk further. Battle Lion rumbles faintly in agreement. "Remember what I said before about knowing the environment. If you know what belongs..." Ears snap up as trees topple and move farther away from then, the Predacon turning in that direction and sloshing through the water. A bunch of logs fallen and adrift in the water ... no, those logs have been sliced down... Eyes narrows, watching the logs, watching the drift in the current... and notices one moving in a slow but definate purpose rather than adrift in the water's flow. That's the one he abruptly swipes at, snagging it with his claws and lifting it out of the water. "... You can find what does not!" Combat: Battle Lion searches for Aramasu Hikage. Combat: Aramasu Hikage has been found! Avarice spotted all the logs but he lost his focus and tried to track them all at once. Without Razorclaw, the human would have been able to escape. As soon as the Predacon lifts the log out of the water, the sweep's head snap and he looks straight at Hikage. He rises into the air and hovers not too far from Razorclaw, "I see. I think I understand now. I must not be distracted by what's unimportant and I must always be attentive to what's out of place." Strangely, he's not doing anything about Aramasu. Aramasu Hikage hears the sloshing get closer .oO(Crap)Oo. The log gets lifted out of the water with him still clinging to it. He backflips off the log and into the water sword in hand but still in it's scabbard. "Allright...You guys are going through ALOT of trouble for..." He looks around as there is absolutely nothing of value around. "Little old me." He stretches his neck and readies himself. "2 Full sized Decepticons against a human on a bike...Either you guys are bored or my reputation preceeds my farther than I thought." He slaps his wrist which summons his power armor to at least get a minimum of protection. Hikage is suddenly covered in nano-machines who transform into the Power Armor Combat: Wraith Power Armor sets his defense level to Protected. "Yes. You learn quickly, Avarice, and your skill for the hunt will grow quickly with it. Enjoy the chase and the challenge, but remained focused on the goal at the end." Then the alt-human lets go of his uncovered hiding spot and activates his armor. "Don't flatter yourself," Razorclaw rumbles in reply, though there may be just the faintest hint of amusement in his tone. The now vacant log drops into the water as he lets go of it. "As temptingly bite-sized your kind are, decimation was hardly the... object of this excersize." Followed by a pause as he bites a chunk of wood free of his claws and retracts them. Then shifts his stance just enough to sidelong glance at the Sweep without taking his attention off the human. "But if you wish to practice applying the knowledge in combat as well, help yourself." Avarice shakes his head and looks down at the EDC ninja, "You are not worth the energy it would cost me to terminate your vital functions. You served your purpose. Now go. Next times we meet, I will not be that generous." Then back at the Predacon commander, "I thank you for this lesson Razorclaw. Rest assured I will not forget your help." Wraith Power Armor is a bit frustrated at being used for an exercise...But chuckles...giggles then laughs a bit..."You guys must have real sharp senses to track me down on the highway and in the swamp. I am impressed...And I am not easily impressed...Just how sensitive are you? It's mind boggling." Battle Lion 's muzzle parts into a grin, and while they're not as nasty as his namesake impliments in his paws, those fangs are definately quite lethal. "Prehaps some time we will get the oppritunity to share a -real- hunt." Then snorts a bit at Aramasu. "There may be no fight tonight, but you are still the enemy. To reveal such specifics would be foolhearty bragging." Again, there is a hint of amusement though, prehaps that the alt-human had the gall to even ask. "If we do ever cross on the field of battle, I hope your combat skills are as challenging as your evasive ones. Until then..." The Predacon transforms, lurching out of the waters as he engages his flight systems and takes off. Razorclaw rises up into his formidable robot mode. Avarice looks down at Amarasu but doesn't add anything to what Razorclaw said. He takes off following the predacon. It's time to head back to Cybertron. Scourge is due back from his outer space assignment and he's probably going to want to meet him upon arrival.